Press Releases

Today, Maine First District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree announced $42.5 million in funding for Maine’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP). Delivered by the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this funding will help low-income individuals and families pay for home heating costs this winter and cover unpaid utility bills.

“I pushed for this increased energy assistance relief because no one should be forced to choose between keeping their heat on or putting food on the table,” Pingree said. “Thanks to House Democrats and President Biden, this funding will help thousands of Maine people afford to stay warm this winter.”

In September, Pingree, chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior and Environment, and her House colleagues passed an emergency supplemental funding package that included an additional $1 billion to address rising energy costs. Funding announced today also includes $100 million appropriated for LIHEAP in 2023 from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Pingree strongly supported and helped pass.

On September 15, Pingree and Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) led a coalition of representatives from the New England Congressional Delegation in writing to the U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committees, urging them to include additional funding for LIHEAP in the government funding package. 

Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance can visit energyhelp.us or call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) hotline toll-free at: 1-866-674-6327.  

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